Court to rule if 13-year-old can sail the world alone

Is it okay for a 13-year-old girl to sail around the world on her own? The juvenile court in Utrecht is due to decide. Laura Dekker's parents have given her permission to go, because it's her dream. The Dutch child protection agency says this is irresponsible and has taken them to court. Experts advise against her trip.

Laura Dekker has already done plenty of solo sailing on the open seas. Her parents are fanatical yachts-people and have taught her a great deal, including what it's like to be alone on the ocean.

Laura told the children's news show Jeugdjournaal: "My parents always knew it was a dream of mine to do this. And I want to do it while I'm still young, so I can break the record."

'Suspend parental custody'

The case has attracted a great deal of attention in recent weeks and has provoked discussion among Dutch people. 13-year-old Laura is determined to go on the solo voyage and break the existing world record, which is held by a 17-year-old American. She means to set sail on September 1. She plans to do her schoolwork using internet and email. However, deputy education minister Marja van Bijsterveld has already made it clear that this contravenes the compulsory education act that says everyone under 16 needs to be in school in the Netherlands.

The child protection board aims to stop Laura Dekker's solo ocean voyage and is prepared to suspend parental custody to do so.

There are other dangers on the voyage which outweigh missing her schooling, said Bernt Folmer, director of the Enkhuizen School of Seamanship. He believes it's wrong to expose a girl of 13 to the potential dangers and that it's too physically demanding for someone her age.

'Too vulnerable'

Thanks to technological advances, solo yachtsmen can now rely on navigation equipment and automatic radar. And they can design a route to stick to waters where there are normally no pirates. But it is still naive to think a 13-year-old can tackle the ocean on her own, according to Folmer.

"Can a girl of 13 physically deal with the ocean? You're on your own keeping a ship on course, but you also have to sleep. There can be huge waves and your ship can sustain serious damage. When she's got a broken mast on heavy seas, can a girl make herself safe again? I can't see it happening. You're much more vulnerable on your own than you are with other people," he said.

Laura Dekker rejects these arguments out of hand. Her parents have prepared her well for the voyage, she said, including the fact that she will be spending a long time alone.

"Because my parents have sailed round the world themselves, they know perfectly well what can happen and that it's not always fun. But because I really want to do it, they think it's okay and they've helped me. They've looked after me just fine for 13 years, so I don't see why they would suddenly go wrong now."

'Dream will just have to stay a dream'

Laura has managed to persuade her parents that she can tackle the voyage on her own. Professor of pedagogy Micha de Winter concedes that no research has been carried out into the effects of a two-year ocean voyage on a girl of this age. However, he thinks there are good reasons to advise Laura not to go on this voyage.

"A great deal is known about the development of children at that age," said De Winter, "They are very busy with their social and emotional development. They really need contact with their parents, with other adults and with people their own age. These are very important issues during adolescence. I think it's a very bad idea for her to spend two years on her own. I think her dream will just have to stay a dream for the time being."